People who purchased the new HTC One M8 noticed one thing that completely blew their mind. It was running Windows Phone 8.1. Can we consider this as a come back? Probably yes, because along with the success of the HTC One, the Windows Phone OS has also received pretty good reviews, and people are happy migrating from their Android or iOS devices for it. But not all of them will be migrating.
So after spending 3 weeks with this Windows Phone, digging real deep into it to find out what is it offering that has got so many happy customers? And the things that we found has really blown our minds, because the people at Windows Phone are working really hard to make sure that they are not left behind the other giants, such as the Android or iOS.
Blazing Fast Software Updates – We all know that the Windows update that took it to 8.1 was the best thing that has ever happened to their smart phone OS. But they didn’t just end their journey there. They made sure that people are getting regular updates with an interval of 6-8 months, and a whole OS update with the intervals of 1 or 2 years.
One thing that I noticed, is that people who are bored with their iOS devices are more keen to migrate to Windows Phone, and these regular updates are their primary reason. And the more exposure that this OS will get, more and more developers will hop onto this ship to create more apps, and volunteer to develop the operating system.
The Notifications Tray – This was the biggest thing that we’ve missed in Windows Phone, and I guess that Microsoft has listened to our complaints. The notification trays, just like what we see in iOS and Android is here in Windows Phone. Just swipe down from the top of the screen, and there you have it.
The Lovely Cortana – Okay, I know Siri is the world’s most favorite digital assistant. But one thing Siri and Google Now doesn’t have, is a different attitude that makes it enjoyable for a user to have a conversation with their phone.
Cortana gives you just that. And since it is inspired from that Halo character, it does have a very different attitude than what we find on most other devices.
Increasing Customizability – This is the place where Windows Phone 8.1 has definitely overtaken iOS. The old thinking that this OS doesn’t gives customizability options has been changed. And even though it doesn’t have much options as Android, there are still enough options to make any user happy about their smart phone, and make it look unique from others.
For instance, you can change the Start background with any image that you want. And we all know those updating tiles that are the classic feature of Windows Phone.
One thing is for sure, and that is, Windows Phone OS is already on the path to take over the world, and go head to head with Android. Maybe iOS should start taking these things seriously to remain in the game, because loyalty doesn’t lasts forever.
